1 . Baggy has become the first dog in the UK—and potentially the world—to join the fight against air pollution by recording pollutant levels near the ground.
Baggy wears a pollution monitor on her collar so she can take data measurements close to the ground. Her monitor has shown that air pollution levels are higher closer to ground level, which has helped highlight concerns that babies and young kids may be at higher risk of developing lung problems.
Conventional air pollution monitors are normally fixed on lampposts at about nine feet in the air. However, since Baggy stands at about the same height as a child in a pushchair（婴儿车）, she frequently records pollution levels which are much higher than the data gathered by the Environment A gency.
The doggy data research was the idea of Baggy's 13-year-old owner Tom Hunt and his dad Matt. The English youngster noticed that pollution levels are around two-thirds higher close to the ground than they are in the air at the height where they are recorded by the agency. Tom has since reported the shocking findings to the government in an attempt to emphasise that babies are at higher risk of developing asthma（哮喘）.
Matt Hunt said he was "very proud" of his son because “when the boy gets an idea, he keeps his head down and gets on with it, and he really does want to do some good and stop young kids from getting asthma."
“Tom built up a passion for environmental protection at a very early age," Matt added. “He became very interested in gadgets（小装置）. About one year ago, he got this new piece of tech which is like a test tube. One Sunday afternoon, we went out to do some monitoring, and he said, why don't we put it on Baggy's collar and let her monitor the pollution？'So we did it."
Tom said, "Most of the time, Baggy is just like any other dog. But for the rest of the time she is a super dog, and we are all really proud of her."
1. With a monitor on her collar, Baggy can ____________.| A．take pollutant readings | B．record pollutant levels |
| C．process collected data | D．reduce air pollution |
| A．High places are free of air pollution. |
| B．Higher pushchairs are more risky for kids. |
| C．Conventional monitors are more reliable. |
| D．Air is more polluted closer to the ground. |
| A．To warn of a health risk. | B．To find out pollution sources. |
| C．To test his new monitor. | D．To prove Baggy's abilities. |
| A．Modest. | B．Generous. | C．Creative. | D．Outgoing. |
2 . The universe likes to be shy about its age,but astronomers believe they have a pretty good idea of the range.Currently,the most widely accepted age for the universe is around 13.8 billion years,but determining the age of...well,everything,is no easy feat(功绩）.Now, new studies have investigated the question using different methods-and they've come up with two different answers,separated by more than a billion years.
Because the universe is expanding at an accelerating pace,the further away an object is,the faster it appears to be moving away from us.This is expressed as the Hubble constant（哈勃常数, and it's a key factor in figuring out the age of the universe.After all, if we can determine how fast objects moving away from us,we can rewind that process to its beginning-the Big Bang.Researchers from the University of Oregon set out to map the distance to dozens of galaxies The team calculated that the universe is only 12.6 billion years old-that,you might notice is much younger than the 13.8 years usually stated.
In the second study,the method of figuring out the age of the universe is by mapping the oldest light we can detect.We are restoring the' baby photo' of the universe to its original condition, removing the wear and tear of time and space that distorted(扭曲）the image, says Neelima Sehgal, co-author on the study.Only by seeing this sharper baby photo or image of the universe can we more fully understand how our universe was born."In doing so, the researcher determined that the universe is 13.8 billion years old-in agreement with the accepted age.
The real problem though,is that the studies disagree so wildly with each other, to the tune of a billion years.But they are not the only ones-the battle lines are commonly drawn by the methods used. Obviously, more research is needed to determine where the truth lies.
1. What do we know about the universe from the first two paragraphs?| A．It doesn't exist long. | B．It becomes larger. | C．It runs away. | D．It causes the Big Bang. |
| A．The speed of moving objects. |
| B．The number of galaxies. |
| C．The process of the universe evolution. |
| D．The distance to other objects. |
| A．By referring to a similar thing. |
| B．By using hard scientific data. |
| C．By introducing a new concept. |
| D．By quoting an expert's words. |
| A．Whose method is better? |
| B．Which result can you believe? |
| C．How old is the universe? |
| D．Why is the universe so old? |
3 . In 2017, the BBC documentary Spy in the Wild (《荒野间谍》) gave us a chance to look much more closely into the world of animals through the eyes of “animal spies”.
Returning for its second season, Spy in the Wild follows the tradition of the first season while introducing new cameras and robots.
In the new season, more than 50 spy robots are sent to study animals in all kinds of environments, from under the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic.
| A．It won lots of praise from the audience. |
| B．But these spies don’t just record everyday goings-on. |
| C．These spies are actually robots with cameras that look like real animals. |
| D．With the help of these robots, these “animal spies” can do many things. |
| E．It uncovers how different we are compared to our animal cousins. |
| F．The documentary aims to record animal behavior that we would rarely see. |
| G．It watched on as penguin parents tried hard to make it home to feed their chicks. |
4 . Scientists say they have found high levels of small plastic particles(颗粒) in Arctic snow. A German-Swiss research team collected snow samples(样本）from the Arctic and other areas. They included northern Germany, the Bavarian and Swiss Alps, and the North Sea island of Heligoland.When the researchers examined the samples in a laboratory, they were surprised to find very high levels of microplastics.
Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic. These plastic particles are generally smaller than 5 millimeters in length. They come from the breakdown of man-made plastic products and industrial waste.
The study found the highest levels of microplastics came from the Bavarian Alps. One snow sample from the area had 154,000 microplastic particles per liter. Samples collected from the Arctic had much lower levels. However, even samples from the Arctic contained up to 14,000 particles per liter.
The study also attempted to explore how some of the material could have been carried in the atmosphere. A limited number of earlier studies did find microplastics in the air of some cities, including Paris, Tehran and Dongguan, China.
Bergmann Melanie co-wrote the report on the new study. She believes the new study clearly shows that “the majority of the microplastic in the snow comes from the air.” The new study suggests that much of the microplastic found in Europe and the Arctic comes from the atmosphere and snow.
While there is growing concern about the effect of microplastics on the environment, scientists are still studying their possible harmful effects on humans and animals. “I hope the new study will lead to more research on this issue. I think microscopic plastic particles should be included in worldwide observations of air pollution levels.We really need to know what effects microplastics have on humans, especially if inhaled with the air that we breathe.” Bergmann said.
1. Why did scientists collect samples from so many places in paragragh 1?| A．To make the research convincing. |
| B．To attract people to explore there. |
| C．To measure the length of microplastics . |
| D．To examine the samples easily in the lab. |
| A．The risks of microplastics. |
| B．The transport of microplastics. |
| C．The breakdown of plastic products. |
| D．The description of microplastics. |
| A．Many people threw them away at the Alps. |
| B．They were delivered to remote areas through air. |
| C．They could be caught sight of in the air. |
| D．They had no great effect on the environment. |
| A．Scientists are worried about the the influence of microplastics. |
| B．We have found a practical solution to the environment problem. |
| C．The effect of microplastics on human must be urgently researched. |
| D．There is no need to change observations of air pollution levels. |
5 . I woke up by my dog barking in the early morning. I went outside to find a koala（考拉） at the yard gate wanting to enter. It was the first time that I had
I was wondering why he was here, as Koala
He just sat there, apparently
I rushed into my room and came out with some iodophor（碘伏药水）, It was not a
After the treatment, I watched the koala finally
| A．grabbed | B．encountered | C．investigated | D．tackled |
| A．chance | B．relief | C．surprise | D．message |
| A．frequently | B．slightly | C．mostly | D．rarely |
| A．Once more | B．Ever since | C．Just then | D．Then again |
| A．pursued | B．drove | C．followed | D．cast |
| A．in pain | B．in order | C．in comfort | D．in disappointment |
| A．quick | B．close | C．eager | D．anxious |
| A．features | B．symbols | C．signs | D．series |
| A．crucial | B．small | C．distinct | D．tricky |
| A．ignore | B．answer | C．understand | D．anticipate |
| A．touched | B．felt | C．tapped | D．treated |
| A．appealed to | B．referred to | C．occurred to | D．addressed to |
| A．help | B．advice | C．approval | D．forture |
| A．exploring | B．rushing | C．jogging | D．disappearing |
| A．experience | B．survive | C．escape | D．have |
6 . The Wall Street Journal recently published an excellent article penned by Wendy Bounds on a hot topic here at MNN: the air-purifying qualities of the common houseplant. Given that the air inside your home can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside of it, making it clean with plants like peace lily(百合花)and asparagus fern(芦笋蕨)is an economical, artistically pleasing alternative to air purifiers. So, it's been acknowledged that a bunch of pretty potted houseplants can help you maintain a healthier home, but a smarter home?
That's the question in light of a recent study published by the Journal of Environmental Psychology showing that the presence of plants in a room, particularly in an office environment, can shrink attention span(范围). Struggling directive attention (the kind of attention that takes effort) can be refreshed through exposure to naturalistic environments. Basically, taking a walk through the park can clear one's head. But can a head be refreshed simply by being surrounded by houseplants?
To test their theory, the study's authors rounded up a bunch of participants, put some of them in a room with no plants and put others in a room with four plants placed around a desk, and put them all to the same series of tests. First was a Reading Span Test, which involves reading a series of sentences aloud and remembering the last word in each sentence. This task requires that you fluently switch between attention demanding tasks: from reading and memorizing at one moment, to writing and recalling at the next. Next came a proof-reading task followed by another Reading Span Test.
The results? Participants working in the room with the plants improved their performance from the first Reading Span Test to the second while those working in the room lacking in greenery did not. Consequently, the benefits of working among plants is indeed evident.
1. What do we know from the first paragraph?| A．Staying indoors can help avoid the poorer air outdoors. |
| B．Houseplants can function as beautiful cheap air purifiers. |
| C．Planting potted flowers as decorations is very interesting. |
| D．Air purifiers are the most effective to create a healthy home. |
| A．Focus one's attention. | B．Disturb one's attention. |
| C．Weaken one's attention. | D．Turn one's attention away. |
| A．Working in nature helps increase productivity. |
| B．Houseplants will be in great demand in our life. |
| C．Greenery creates healthier naturalistic atmosphere indoors. |
| D．Working among houseplants improves mental functioning. |
| A．Flowers: Grand Feast to Eyes | B．Greenery: Effective Air-purifier |
| C．Houseplants: Visual Brain Food | D．Potted Plants: Great House-beautifier |
7 . Scientists say only enlarging the world’s nature reserve to help protect plants and animals may be useless. The main reason is that levels of human activity are rising in and around the nature reserves. In fact, recognizing spaces as protected areas is not reducing human activity there.
The researchers found that a lack of money to pay for land conservation (保护) is affecting conservation efforts. And it is a lack of communication between people who live in protected natural areas and outsiders. About 17 percent of the world is within protected areas, including the national parks, nature reserves and wilderness areas. Protected areas are important for supporting environments with many different kinds of plants and animals.
The researchers again found increasing human activity in most protected areas in every country. However, they said that human activity appeared to be more of a problem in nations with fewer roads and lower life standards on the Human Development Index (指数). The index uses information about life length, education and earnings to grade countries on human development.
Across the northern Australia, protected areas often proved effective at slowing human activity when compared with unprotected areas. But in South America, Southeast Asia and African countries, pressure from human activity inside protected areas was higher.
Experts say governments need to provide fund support to help protected areas. Simply recognizing a place as a protected area can’t be the beginning and the end of a conservation effort. Working with local people to take efforts is also important. If they’re not partners in the protected areas, then wildlife conservation is much more difficult.
1. What are protected areas mainly affected by according to the text?| A．Human activity. | B．Climate change. |
| C．Population growth. | D．Environmental pollution. |
| A．Record more roads in the world. |
| B．Improve education in all countries. |
| C．Grade countries on human development. |
| D．Lead more people to make money. |
| A．Enlarge protected areas. |
| B．Offer extra money and work with locals. |
| C．Attract more people to travel there. |
| D．Allow local people to farm there. |
| A．People May Cause Harm to Plants and Animals |
| B．Local People Should Focus on the Natural Environment |
| C．Nature Reserves in the World Should Be Increased |
| D．Nature Reserves May Not Protect Wildlife Safely |
He became interested in the idea of sanitation after taking part in a research project on the social and political development of cities. One of the most common problems he found in developing countries was the lack of toilets. He wanted to do something to help, so working with others, he started the project in 2005, and the next year started a company called Peepoolple.
The toilet is a single-use bag made of environmentally friendly plastics. The inside is treated with urea(尿素), a chemical commonly used as fertilizer. The hotter the weather, the more quickly the waste turns into what is needed by plants. The sanitation process can be as soon as a couple of hours or as long as two to four weeks, you can just bury it in a pot and grow whatever you like.
The company expects to start selling the bags in August in Kenya and Bangladesh, but it is just beginning production and sales in Nairobi now. Full production could reach about half a million bags a day and people may be able to buy the pee-pool in countries Vietnam, Bangladesh, etc.
The United Nations says more than two and a half billion people around the world do not have good sanitation. Many have no choice but to use the outdoors, which is not only bad for the environment, but also harmful to people’s health. Each year, poor sanitation leads to three fifths of those people getting an infectious disease which on average causes one out of 1,000 patients to die.
Jack Smith, the founder of the World Toilet Organization, says “This is quite an unacceptable situation given the fact that we are living in the modern world, and strangely, many of them own televisions, phones but have no toilet.”
1. What was the original purpose of Anders Wilhelmson in starting the company?
| A．To protect the local environment. |
| B．To earn a lot of money from the project. |
| C．To do research on the social development. |
| D．To help solve the problem of lack of toilets in developing countries. |
| A．It can be used over again. |
| B．Its sanitation process doesn’t last long. |
| C．It works better in summer than in winter. |
| D．It should be buried in a pot after being used. |
| A．Nairobi. | B．Kenya. | C．Sweden. | D．Bangladesh. |
| A．poor sanitation may cause many problems |
| B．many people don’t care for the environment |
| C．many people get ill from using the outdoors |
| D．quite a number of people die from poor sanitation |
| A．the outdoors being damaged |
| B．many places being short of toilets |
| C．many people having TVs and phones |
| D．many people getting an infectious disease |
